How severe is CVE-2018-16511?

CVE-2018-16511 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-16511 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (78th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-16511?

CVE-2018-16511 primarily affects Artifex Ghostscript. In total, 12 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-16511?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2018-16511 published?

CVE-2018-16511 was published on 2018-09-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-16511

CVE-2018-16511 is a high-severity vulnerability in Artifex Ghostscript with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-704.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 6.8
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (78th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-704
Affected product: Artifex Ghostscript
Published: 2018-09-05
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in Artifex Ghostscript before 9.24. A type confusion in "ztype" could be used by remote attackers able to supply crafted PostScript to crash the interpreter or possibly have unspecified other impact.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-16511?: An issue was discovered in Artifex Ghostscript before 9.24. A type confusion in "ztype" could be used by remote attackers able to supply crafted PostScript to crash the interpreter or possibly have unspecified other impact.
How severe is CVE-2018-16511?: CVE-2018-16511 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-16511 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (78th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-16511?: CVE-2018-16511 primarily affects Artifex Ghostscript. In total, 12 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-16511?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2018-16511 published?: CVE-2018-16511 was published on 2018-09-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (12)

cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:artifex:ghostscript:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_eus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Artifex Ghostscript

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CVE-2021-33318 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): An Input Validation Vulnerability exists in Joel Christner .NET C# packages WatsonWebserver, IpMatcher 1.0.4.1 and…
CVE-2020-25576 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): An issue was discovered in the rand_core crate before 0.4.2 for Rust. Casting of byte slices to integer slices…
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